Bring files back from the dead, continued...

The authors of PC Inspector File Recovery recommend that you install it on a different drive from the one you want to retrieve lost files from. This may not always be possible, but if you have a second drive or a USB memory stick, then install the software onto one of these.

Once installed, run the software.

Select your language when prompted.

Click on the 'Recover Deleted Files' tab as shown on the left of this image.

As you can see, I have a number of drives on my PC. On most machines there will only be two drives listed in the list. Select the drive you wish to search for deleted files, usually this will be 'Windows drive C:', and click on the tick.

The software may take some time to scan your drive, when finished it will present you with a list of deleted files and folders that it has found. Note that each file's condition is listed and even when the file condition is 'good' it may not be restored in totality.

Try to locate the lost file in the list. If you find it, right-click on it and select 'Save as'. If possible select a location of a different hard-drive or a USB memory stick. With luck your file will be restored.

If you can't find your file in the list, try searching for it by clicking on the magnifying glass icon, and typing in the filename of the lost file. The search engine supports wild-cards. Click here for a previous post that explains the use of wild-cards. If the software finds your file you can right-click on it and save it as above.

This guide explores only one aspect of the software as a file recovery tool. Check out the help file and the website for instructions on the other features, but be warned, these tools are not designed for novices.

Note: I had some problems using this software on NTFS drives. To find out if your drive is NTFS or FAT32: go to My Computer select your drive. The file system should appear in the 'Details' section on the left-hand side. Try looking in the drives listed as being 'on fixed disk' as well as those the 'on Windows drive' entries on the 'Select drive' dialog. To select a different drive open the Object menu and click on Drive...

Recovering text from Word documents (Part 1)

If Microsoft Word runs into a problem with a file it usually offers a recover option when you open the program the next time. But sometimes this option is not given to you, and you have to try to recover text from a corrupted file manually.

To do this pull down the 'File' menu in Word and select 'Open...' to see the appropriate dialog box. From the 'Files of type' drop-down list select 'Recover Text from Any File'. Then browse to the file you wish to try to recover text, select it, and click the 'Open' button. With any luck Word will extract the text from that file. This process may work with files of types that Word does not support too.

In the second part of the article I will look at what to do if this method fails.

Bring files back from the dead

Even after you have deleted a file, and emptied the Recycle Bin, you may still be able to recover the file. This is because the data in the file has not been removed, at least until the drive is defragmented, rather Windows just ignores the data that is there, treating it as if it was empty space.

The great advantage of this system is that you may be able to recover files that you accidentally deleted since the last time that you defragmented, however, you will need a piece of software that will enable you to reconstruct the file from the raw data. My preferred software for this task is PC Inspector's File Recovery. Whilst free to download and use, it is still a fully featured and powerful piece of software. It is not the most intuitive piece of software ever written, so I will be writing a tutorial later this week explaining how to recover a file using it.

As an alternative, FreeUndelete, is more user friendly, but because I have not used it as often as PC Inspector's File Recovery I cannot vouch for how well it works.

Recovering text from Word documents (Part 2)

In the previous part of this article I looked at using the built in text recovery features in MS Word. But, what can be done if this doesn't work? One way to try to recover text from a corrupted file is to open it in Notepad.

To open Notepad click on the Start button, go to 'App Programs', then 'Accessories' and click on its icon. You can then drag and drop the corrupt file into Notepad.

You will then see something that looks like this.


As you can see Notepad is showing some garbage as well as the text of the Word document. The garbage is an attempt by Notepad to display binary (non-textual) information such as images and the like.

Switch on word wrapping, making Notepad remove the scroll bar from the bottom and spread long pieces of text over more than one line. To do this pull down the 'Format' menu and click on 'Word Wrap' if it is not already ticked. This will make the file easier to search through for the text you wish to recover.

You can now either just browse through the file copying and pasting the text you want into a new Word document, or you can use the 'Find...' facility in Notepad to locate the lost text (it is in the 'Edit' menu). Searching for frequently used words like 'the' or 'is' should enable you to quickly find the actual text among all the garbage.

For details on how to quickly select, copy and paste text, see this post.

What should you do if you have emptied the Recycle Bin using Disk Cleanup

As a part of maintaining your computer, Windows provides many in-built utilities to maintain and safeguard your system from various problems. One such tool is the Disk Cleanup tool that removes various types of irrelevant files such as Internet cookies, compressed files, offline web pages, Recycle Bin, etc. However, at times it may happen that you delete the contents of the Recycle Bin and later realize that it had some important files. In such cases, an efficient file recovery software can offer you complete file recovery.

However, sometimes you empty the Recycle Bin using this tool and later realize that it had some important files. Now, Windows does not provide any in-built utility to recover such files. However, these files can be recovered using a third-party file recovery software. .

Taking a Disk Cleanup related scenario in which you regularly use this tool to clean up unessential files from your system. While doing so, you also emptied the Recycle Bin, which had some important files that you deleted by mistake. Now, you are cursing yourself for being so unthoughtful especially because this is not the first time that you were using this tool. But do not worry as this file can well be recovered provided some precautions were taken. .

When a file is deleted, it is not exactly removed permanently from the hard disk. It is just that its pointer from the file database is removed that shows where the file is actually stored in the system. And when it is deleted, the operating system is informed that the space, which was taken by the deleted file, is available for new files. .

So, this file can be recovered provided you have not created a new file or moved the position of an existing file as it may take the same storage space. This would invariably mean that you do not have any chance of recovering that file. So, you should try not to create a new file when such mishap takes place. .

As far as file recovery is concerned, the best solution is to use a third-party file recovery software. Such tools recover lost files without damaging the original contents of the storage media. .

The best third-party data recovery solution that you should use to get all the lost files back is Stellar Phoenix File Recovery Plus that has the ability to recover more than 200 files. Supporting various Windows operating system such as Windows 7, Vista, Server 2003, XP, and 2000, this file recovery tool supports email recovery for MS Outlook and Outlook Express. In addition, this file recovery software retrieves files from various storage media including pen cards, hard drives, iPods, etc.

Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery V4.2: Advantages Galore!

Review:tompatrick
Given the increasing threat of data loss due to hardware issues, logical failure or human errors, there is a need to get a highly convenient way to restore your vital data safely. And, if you are among those who are really not into maintaining backups religiously, data recovery software are just the right stuff for you. Here comes the million dollar question: Which software is the reigning king/can be trusted upon?



Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery v4.2 has surpassed its competitors and is still on the frontier of data recovery. The new version of the software includes rafts of improvements which has made it the most comprehensive software in the market. Besides supporting recovery of lost or deleted data from FAT and NTFS file system, it is capable of recovery from exFAT file system-based PCs.



This distinct feature is complemented by a plethora of other useful features. The user-friendly application's Professional edition empowers you to recover all MS office documents, photos, videos, database files, e-mails and other files.



More welcome is the inclusion of a bootable CD which comes bundled with this software and enables you to recover valuable data from an unbootable computer system. This do-it-all software allows you to recover data from multiple storage media including hard drives, memory cards, memory sticks, external hard drives, USBs, and even iPods.

Compatible with Windows 7, Vista, 2003, XP and 2000, the application facilitates hard drive imaging and cloning.

The interface of the software is quite accessible, with simple and clear directions to perform recovery. You have been provided with four recovery options under the following banners: quick recovery, deleted file recovery, formatted/lost file and folder recovery and search lost volume. And, if you want to get the hang of the software and its impeccable features, there's a demo version available for you.


Best of all, this application recovers data in all circumstances including partition corruption, system malfunction, MBR corruption, power surges, hard drive formatting, virus attacks and others.

Stellar's Windows Data Recovery stands testimony to the fact that the company has continued its tradition of excellence with its easy-to-use and powerful data recovery products.


Originally published in Shvoong: Stellar Phoenix Windows Data Recovery V4.2: Advantages Galore!

How To Recover Files If NTFS File System Is Inaccessible Due To Disk Corruption Error

Image via Wikipedia

Most of the Windows users have had faced the Boot volume damaged situation. When such a error occurs It doesn't let your system to start, and as the consequence it may lead to file loss too. To get the data back from such situations the only solution recommended is to opt for a file recovery software.

How will you know that Boot volume has damaged and now you need a recovery software to recover the data.

When you will start the system you will encounter a error where second parameter is 0xC0000032 DISK_CORRUPTION_ERROR

“Stop 0x0000007B (0x00000000, 0xC0000032, 0x00000000, 0x00000000) Inaccessible_boot_device”

On damaged NTFS volume when you will try to install Microsoft Windows 2000, you will encounter a error message
“Windows 2000 recognizes the partition you selected, but the partition is unformatted or damaged. To install Windows 2000 on this partition, setup must reformat it.”

You might then try to start the recovery console of Windows 2000 using dir command which will help you view & access the contents of the volume, another error you may encounter that is:

“Directory of F:\ An error occurred during directory enumeration.”

Now you may run a CHKDSK utility for the damaged volume, this process may complete with no errors and corrections. But, you won't be able to access the data from the volume and will receive a error message.
If all this happens to you it means that the Boot volume has damaged

Reason behind are:

• Either the NTFS volume has damaged.
• Either there are invalid records in the $LogFile file or $UsnJrnl file.

Both the above mentioned file use the NTFS file system, the CHKDSK command doesn't check for the integrity of these files, only the Master File Table is what the CHKDSK command checks for the valid entries of the file.

How to resolve the issue:

• Repair the $UsnJrnl file with the use of Windows Server 2003 or Microsoft Windows XP Recovery console.
• Remove the Change/USN journal by using the Fsutil.exe utility in Windows XP boot CD.
• Take another system with the Windows 2000 on it and attach the damaged drive to the system. And repair it.

Above mentioned can be the only solution for such kind of corruption, as per my research . If in case you find any other solution feel free to post it.

The only solution left after trying all this is to opt for file recovery software. Scan your system with the use of the software and extract all the data on the Windows drive. The software will help you recover the data safely without any hassles involved.

File Recovery to Fix Windows Vista Operating System Crash Problems

Blue Screen and Stop errors are quite common and frequent in Microsoft Windows operating system. These problems are with all versions of Windows operating system, including Microsoft Windows 7 and Microsoft Windows Vista. They are generally caused by corrupt, missing, or inaccessible system data structures. When such problems occur, your system may become unbootable and inaccessible. In such cases, you cannot access your significant files from Windows hard drive and run across file loss situations. In order to get your files recovered in such cases, file recovery software come for your rescue if there is no backup in place.

As a real-world example of this problem, consider the following scenario:

You switched over to Windows Vista from Windows 7 due to lots of Stop and blue screen errors.

You are unable to install device drivers on your computer, running Microsoft Windows Vista.

Every time you try to install the driver, process is terminated automatically.

Whenever you unplug your external hard drive from the problem Windows computer, you encounter the below blue screen error: Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: BlueScreen
OS Version: 6.0.6002.2.2.0.768.3
Locale ID: 2057


Additional information about the problem: BCCode: a
BCP1: 0000000000000010
BCP2: 000000000000000C
BCP3: 0000000000000000
BCP4: FFFFF80001C86489
OS Version: 6_0_6002
Service Pack: 2_0
Product: 768_1
Root of the issue
This problem generally occurs after adding a new hardware component or due to missing device drivers and system data structures. Windows data structures, like file system, boot loader, and master boot record, may corrupt because of virus infection, improper system shutdown, and system crash like situations.


Resolution
You can try fixing this behavior using any of the below methods: Remove the recently added hardware component.
Reinstall corrupt device drivers.

Restore your Microsoft Windows Vista operating system-based computer to the last good configuration. But, this method removes the file added after creation of the last restore point.

Restore data from the current backup. For assured file recovery, the backup must be valid and updated.

When all else fail, file recovery software help you to get your precious data recovered. The applications are incorporated with interactive and self-descriptive graphical user interface to ensure quick and easy data recovery. They use high-end scanning techniques to carry out in-depth scan of entire Windows hard drive and extract all lost, missing, inaccessible, and deleted files from it.

Data Recovery: How They Affect temperature contrasts

Hard drives require a specific working conditions. Today's computers work 24 hours a day due in part to increased broadband connections to the Internet in the office and homes. The hard drives must have an operating temperature between 5 C and 55 C as specified by each manufacturer, to ensure proper operation, to overcome this temperature inside the computer case makes the hard drive should work in inadequate conditions.

All the mechanical parts of the hard disk have some degree of contraction and expansion. Although we think that the wheel housing is a deformable rigid aluminum block is not true, because the parts are deformed to a greater or lesser extent with temperature contrasts. If within the hard drive needs a reading head positioned with nanometer precision to read a data track, an imbalance in the housing that supports it can produce, and actually produced, which fails to correctly read a track that had been written in other conditions.

But just as a low temperature facilitates the proper functioning of the drive and able to extend its life, the most important thing for the hard disk is that the temperature is constant. If during the morning the computer works at a low temperature the effect of air conditioning and afternoon off air and raises the temperature by 15 or 20 C, the hard disk will be working in conditions of great temperature contrast.

The same happens when daytime heating is switched on to generate a high temperature, at the end of the day these heaters are switched off and at night temperatures drop many degrees due to the time of year: in these cases supports hard disks temperature contrasts extreme and damaging.

A hard drive that suffers from thermal imbalance will start giving read errors from time to time, these errors generate accessible operating system crashes and finally the total inability to access the hard disk. It is very important to prevent or detect early problems, since the OS itself to such errors and to try to correct, may cause total loss of the file system structure.

These contrasts in temperature cause mechanical damage to one or more of the internal elements of the device, making it necessary to secure the opening of hard disk failure to observe and correct it if possible. The opening of the hard drive is a delicate operation that should only be done in a controlled environment clean and free of dust particles can be deposited on the surface of the plate and cause further damage to it. You will need a file recovery software to recover those files.

These processes can only be done by a professional data recovery tools have specific equipment which can help in such cases